UK Coarse
The Bait Room · Commercial / modern
Banded 6 and 8mm feed pellets used as hookbaits. The pellet waggler bait, and a method hookbait that stays on.
Hard fishery pellets are feed first. Banded on a hook they become a hookbait that survives a cast, a catapult rhythm, and a few small fish. 6mm and 8mm are the usual sizes on UK commercials.
If the fishery sells one pellet, band that one. A fancy hook pellet that doesn't match the feed is how you buy confidence without buying bites.
From the graph
Technique
Pellet waggler
Banded 6 or 8mm
Technique
Slapping
Slapping a shallow pole rig on the surface to make a noise that draws carp and F1s up. Then you actually fish the shallow line you just advertised.
Technique
Pellet feeder
Banded hookbait
Technique
Shallow pole
Banded 6mm
Technique
Mugging
Banded
Technique
Pellet on the pole
Banded
Pellet waggler. Method hookbait. Pole shallow. Anytime you need a bait that stays on.
Summer is the obvious time. They still catch in the cold if you go smaller and feed less.
Bait band. Hair with a stop. In the method mix.
Band them. That's the preparation. Don't soak hard hook pellets unless you want expanders.
Feeding
A bag of 8mm and a bag of 6mm covers a commercial in the warm.
Every cast on a pellet waggler.
Micros in a method. Nothing else required on a waggler.
6mm hook, 8mm feed — or the reverse when they're fussy. Hard pellet and a wafer.
The same pellet, looser, by catapult or in the frame.
A band so loose the pellet pings off. Feeding a different pellet to the one on the hook for no reason.
If they boil and miss, go smaller or to an expander. If they're on the deck, method with a wafer.
Beginner tip
Band an 8mm fishery pellet, 3ft deep, catapult the same pellet. Pellet waggler in one bag.
Advanced tip
Count the sink. A take on a two-count is a depth, not a mystery.